The illustrations are what won me over for this book. The story itself was a bit bland. I've read it to K - 3 and the children also loved the illustrations. They caught on that the last King of Angkor Wat was indeed the mysterious elephant that appeared unexpectedly. I included a lesson on where Cambodia was and we found Angkor Wat on the map.

I did not expect to like this book, but surprisingly, I did. Four animals cannot decide who should be the next King of Angkor Wat, and are instructed to go on a race. Along the way, you are able to see the true identity of each animal. It is a great book for teaching what it takes to be a leader, and why some of those qualities are important.
I think this is a great book to talk about how Angkor Wat is a real temple in Cambodia. This book would provide a great geography lesson for students, as well as a discussion about what makes a king a king. Not only can we discuss the qualities of a king, but we can discuss why some countries have kings and queens, and others do not. ( )

I absolutely loved the book "The Last King of Angkor Wat" by Graeme Base. The book was beautiful in story, writing, and illustrations. The pictures in the book were some of the best I have seen for a children's book. The colors were rich, deep, and dark. The illustrations spanned across both pages, and were extremely detailed from the feathers of the birds to the fur on the tiger. The setting was in the lush jungles of Cambodia and the pictures illustrated just how beautiful the jungle would be if untouched. The writing was just as beautiful as the pictures. The tone of the story was similar to how reading a fairy tale or fable would be. For example, the story closes saying "None of them ever did become the great ruler, for those times had passed. But they never forgot the day they met the Last King of Angkor Wat." The overall message of this book is that no one is perfect, and a person can always try to better themselves. Also, the story teaches that life is not about winning. ( )